FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2008
CONTACT: Meg Fullwood
214-946-9509
mfullwood@kera.org
KERA Announces Winners of Do the Math Contest
North Texas Teachers and Students Win Cash and Prizes
DALLAS/FORT WORTH - Teachers and students from districts across North Texas took top honors in KERA 13’s Do the Math competition. The winners received their awards during a special ceremony at the KERA studios on Thursday, January 10, 2008. KERA received more than 300 submissions, which were judged by a jury of educators. Contest details and the winning problems in each category are available at www.mathcantakeyouplaces.org. KERA’s Do the Math competition will continue with a new chapter in the fall of 2008.
The joint project of KERA’s Educational Resource Center and Travelocity (a Sabre Holdings company), Do the Math invited teachers and students in grades 3 to 6 to submit math word problems and original activities illustrating how math is used in the real world.
"Travelocity, along with Sabre Holdings, believes investing in math education will have a positive impact on future opportunities in the travel industry,” says Carrie Mamantov with Sabre Holdings. “The event was particularly special because, after reading the entries, I could see how the children, their parents and the teachers all have a passion for math and that is very inspiring."
Todni Robinson, the mother of 5th grade winning contestant Christopher Robinson, echoed those sentiments, saying “The KERA Do the Math contest was an excellent opportunity for my son to challenge himself and for our family to grow together!”
Winners in the teaching category received awards of $500 for first place, $350 for second place and $150 for third place. The first place winner was Jean Streepey with McCulloch Intermediate School in Highland Park ISD, second place went to Vonda Ore with Brawner Intermediate in Granbury ISD and Shannon Manley with Lamar Elementary in Greenville ISD won the third place award.
First place student winners in each grade level received an iPOD nano and an iTunes gift certificate in the amount of $50. Second place winners received an iPOD shuffle and an iTunes gift certificate of $50 or four tickets to Six Flags Over Texas. Honorable mention award winners received an iPOD shuffle and a $15 iTunes gift certificate.
Students taking top honors in the 3rd grade category include Rian Morgan of Clayton Elementary School in Fort Worth ISD who took first place in the competition. Second place was awarded to Salvador Diaz, who attends Dover Elementary in Richardson ISD.
Brawner Intermediate School in Granbury ISD took top honors in the 4th grade student category. First place went to Lexi Shea. Ethan Gonzalez won the second place award. Zach Pate with Brawner Intermediate in Granbury ISD and Shalana Miller of J.Q. Adams in Dallas ISD tied for honorable mention.
Student winners in the 5th grade category include Wesley Graham with K.B. Polk Vanguard School in Dallas ISD, who won first place. Christopher Robinson of Spears Elementary in Frisco ISD took second place. Jite Ovienmhada of Trinity Mills Elementary in Keller ISD and Taylor Yates of Brawner Intermediate in Granbury ISD tied for honorable mention.
The first place winner in the 6th grade student category was Laura Reifsnyder of McCulloch Intermediate in the Highland Park ISD. Catherine Anderson, a home-schooled student won the second place award and four tickets to Six Flags Over Texas. The third place winner was Adriana Medina of Bryant Elementary in the Arlington ISD.
Do the Math is the latest chapter of Math Can Take You Places™ – created by KERA in partnership with Travelocity (a Sabre Holdings company) and designed by a team of North Texas teachers. The Math Can Take You Places materials are designed to help teachers better prepare their students for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and other standardized tests. The curriculum includes videos, lesson plans and educational games using real-world scenarios to help students better understand five of the most challenging algebra readiness concepts; patterns, equivalency, reasonableness, measurement and problem solving. For more information about Math Can Take You Places, including resources for teachers, please visit the program's Web site at www.mathcantakeyouplaces.org.
Math Can Take You Places is an extension of KERA's commitment to providing educational, cultural and civic services to North Texans. The program is currently in use by over 1,000 North Texas educators, touching nearly 50,000 students and is being broadcast in eleven states. With this and other nationally recognized projects such as Ready for Life and North Texas Student Voices, KERA's Educational Resource Center has had an impact on the lives of thousands of educators, parents and children through outreach and training.
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world's greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. Sabre Holdings supports travelers, travel agents, corporations, government agencies and travel suppliers through its companies: Travelocity, Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, the company has approximately 9,000 employees in 45 countries. More information is available at www.sabre-holdings.com.
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